Chapter Text
you wake up with a gasp, tears rolling down as you touch your cheek confused on why you were crying and what happened? You couldn't remember what you dreamed about, not one thing but only that you were incredibly figured and sad....and yearning for something..you couldn't place with you were looking for but it felt so empty
This story begins in a town by a coast. Known for only 3 things that made tourist from all over the world come here and try their luck or either come to see the attraction.
1. The hidden treasure of Sailor Monchora de Clairent. A captain to be said that hide his treasure somewhere in this town, left to be reclaimed hut sadly never made it back leaving it in a hidden spot yet to be found. If it was even there....you didn't believe it was, after all his survinvg crew members probably took it back then.
2. The story of the hidden mermaids said to be living underneath the town in the deep water. It was believed greatly that the hidden world of the mermaids was right in this sea just waiting to be found just like Atlantas. You didn't really know what to think of this story as you grew up with it and kinda wanted to believe it in some way.
3. The attraction...a big aquarium standing right by the edge of town right by the ocean coast, it had been build there to show people who visited the beauty of the ocean while being there but then....the first ever mermaid was discovered along with 5 more of them. They were immediately sent there into the tank and widely know to have been mistreated the first few years of what you heard. Until management changed, by that time one had already passed away in a sad manner making the public incredibly angry so they changed staff and everyone else.
That's how you came into this rule, a lucky soul that had been chosen as a new staff now that a old one retired, the story of the one passing away was years old now. You only had been a small child and only vaguely remebere the one mermaid that had died in those tanks. That's was the day you asked questions. Why keep such magnificent creatures locked up if they gonna die? Why can't you let them be free? Innocently you though there was a way to coexist but who would listen to a kid back then?
Now a days you have chances, many people around the world argued! One side was you, wanting to free the mermaids and let them be free, not let them go instinct and find a new mermaid to keep them alive. Others wanted to study them and want to just recreate them with scients to just preserve them. That would mean testing....and everyone was against testing. Yet they weren't released and the merman's themselves didn't speak or tell them any information. You knew better though, the government wouldn't drop it. They already had tried stealing the merman's away to labs and steal it from this town but since there was owner ship and big lawyers behind us with a well known judge. They had no chance to take them, yet.
You were aware that no one would give up so easily. They were probably conducting experiments anyway just sending people into the ranks and do it like that. One of the reasons why yet again a staff changed came. You wanted to help them ...at least give them more hope and maybe make sure they don't hurt them as long as you can. Yet it felt unreal, like this was just a stupid dream that happened to clingnto your soul ever since you were a child and heard about mermaids.
You sighed a deep sigh as you looked ahead of what you were getting yourself into. A new job you had desperately worked for only to have been blocked every turn of the way until you finally made it here. You worked so hard and even pushed through many impossible walls to just get this job but now? Now it felt unreal, it felt like you were getting into something you shouldn't after you saw what you had saw in there. You knew sometimes you heart was too big for your own good but for the life of you, you could never accept what you had seen. Those poor mermans in tanks and more tanks.
"There you are! (Insierte male name) Come in already, work isn't gonna wait you know?" Your college said as he pushed you out the changing room you had been in, you felt nervous, incredibly nervous that you would do something wrong and accidentally hurt any animal on here or the merman's that you were supposed to feed today. You know there was no way of you hurting them seeing you heard they were quiet strong but you still were worried.
You didn't want to hurt anyone by accident even by just bumping into them or maybe getting into their space. You took a deep breath and nodded following your collge, you learned he was quiet grumpy and you shouldn't get on his bad side or you might be ignored for a few months so you stayed quiet and just let him explain every turn and where to find what before he handed you a wagon full with 5 buckets of fish, big ones at that.
"Your job is to simply pull this wagon to the tanks and bring them to the top where you will simply dump it inside. They will get it them selfs if they are hungry. You do not! Stick your hand into the water, they will try to bite or pull you in." He warned you as he pulled the wagon along to show you where you were heading. At his words you gulped at the though of drowning on your first day because of that so you quickly nodded. He stopped right by a big tank where visitors were around already. He left the wagon and just waved to go come see him once you were finished.
Good so he just left you like that....great, you look to the tank seeing the merman's inside, so pretty and breathtaking in their own ways! Yet you heard people talking around you saying monsters? Nothing like the tails you read? Some even banged against the glass mostly children and parents demanding them to move from the sand they were seemingly napping on. You frowned and moved forward.
"Excuse me please don't bang on the glass yes? You don't want to disturb the merman's do you?" You said softly to a child that turned to you confused and looked back at their merman's and you again.
"But I want them to move! I want to see them closer" the boy said annoyed, clearly having been spoiled by his mother who stood there with her phone in hand not doing Anything. Clearly ignoring the situation......parents these days...you gently kneel down to talk to the other children as well who now stood around you to ask why.
"Would you be happy if someone came to your bed and woke you up with banging? You will have to be patient, maybe they will reward you if you are a very good boy, hm?' you said gently to all the children and of course girls who's eyes lid up at your words now all turning to the glass wanting to look good and behave even if it meant waiting for one of them to move. The boy stomped his leg annoyed and pouting as he couldn't find words to say.
"But lucky for you all I'm feeding them now so maybe they will move yes? But be gentle, we don't want to disturb them do we?" You said making the boy light up and seem more eager now at hearing they might move, you weren't so gentle with the parent though that banged on the glass as you glared at him and gave him a look that said clearly he was behaving just like these children. He looked annoyed but just made a tch sound turning away.
You turned back to the wagging and grabbed the first bucket, dang it was heavy! The children followed you excitedly walking behind you like little ducklings like they wanted to help you in anyway just to make them move faster. You shook them off and started walking through the staff area and up the stairs slowly making your way up feeling the merman's watch you intrested, for how long you didn't know. But after a quick struggle up the stairs you got the first bucket up and went down to get the others.
You gathered them all up there before gently dumping the first bucket inside by kneeling on the side of the water, you didn't just want to dump it inside, even if it sounded crazy to say that seeing the fish were dead and the merman seemed to not care at all but you did, dumping each bucket inside gently before sighing and seeing they actually did move to grab the fish swimming around moving. You walked down with the buckets on top of each other now as the children screamed in delight practically pressed against the glass watching it all.
You gave a soft smile and out the buckets back on the wagon before joining the children crouching down and telling them some small facts and stories as they eagerly listened, other parents were just listing in as well seeing the new worker so gentle with the kids.
"You know mermaids dont always look like the fairy tails! Those stories were written by old sailors that saw different ones each time, that's why there are so many of them! So don't go around calling them monsters yes! Look how beautiful they are" You said gently to them as you pointed at the merman just eaten staring at you and the children, each of them having a different gaze and a different face looking either curious or annoyed.
"But why do they look so different sir? I though there we're only mermaids" a girl asked curiously as you turn to her with a smile softly guiding her to be in front of you staring at the tank all the other children also followed go listen more, even the spoiled brat.
"You see humans wrote those books, they saw what they wanted to see maybe. Or maybe there are different kinds. Like cats have different furr, yet they are beautiful no? All of them have beautiful hair colors, eyes and interesting features. They are no different from the fairy tails, just more real. More beautiful" you said gently, some parents disagreed with a soft scoff others gave a small hum thinking maybe about your words of judging too harshly. One mother even pulled her child away saying it was time to go. You didn't pay attention and just let the other children nod and look eagerly ahead.
You stood back up looking inside seeing them having already finished the fish. Wow they were fast, wasn't the cold enough? Or maybe because they were 5 it looked like they are fast? You weren't sure but just sighed turning away since you had other work to do not noticing one of the merman's staring intently at you with its glowing purple eyes. Either displeased by the words it had read on your lips or even heard, or maybe interested in the way you handled things.
"There you are! I though you might actually have been eaten in there with how long it took you to feed them" your college said as you just stared at him dumb founded. Even if that had been true then why didn't he come to check on you? You just shook your head and listened as he gave you more tasks for the day, you did them diligently getting praise from the others.
it was a easy first day to say the least you mostly feed the animals and other beings that were here and cleaned up around guest at the end you ended up by the merman enclosure again ordered to stay there and make sure no one just threw trash or tried stirring with a marker on the glass, you heard this happened actually a lot more then you would expect. You can't even imagine why? Like what point is there to draw on the glass? You just shook your head as you now sat on bench bored and waiting since you were told to just sit there and wait. Waiting you did and even playing with the children to tell them small stories, once they were interested more in that rather then bang on the glass.
You silently began to be a sort of tour guide other then working here full time to spend time with the animals taking care of them and making sure they were okay. But okay it was your first day so maybe they just didn't want you to jump head first into difficult tasks? At the end you just sat there notebook in hand now just drawing as you tried to draw the merman that you could see. The one you could see the best was a white haired one with a red tail.
He was staring your way or maybe to the crowd you weren't sure. But he was laying on his stomach in the sand lazily swaying his tail back and forth. You could see his cute fins at the side of his head twitch like he was catching each and every sound while staring. You couldn't even see a mouth on him, could he make it disappear? Since you did see him eat just this morning. Could the others do that as well? You didn't know and didn't want to ask seeing they haven't spoken to anyone as you heard, or maybe they did speak and no one was allowed to know? Or maybe spoke in a different language?
You were to curious about them. Just how did they work? How did the even reproduce? Why did they get cought in the first place if they are so strong and why, on God's earth, why would you lock them up? Yes they were so pretty to look at but you could see just how miserable they were in that tank with their lazy posture, sad eyes and firce looks they sometimes gave of when a man banged on the glass and not a child. You sighed and just kept drawing while guests came and went. You picked up trash from time to time and placed your notebook down letting children see it and others. This went on and on until your old pal, bitch of a coworker came over like he hadn't abandoned you here all your shift and gave you the 5 buckets again to feed them.
You were pretty sure he was supposed to train you all day and let you do stuff yet he made you sit here and diddle away. While he did god knows what, you sighed and gave a polite smile but the moment his back was turned you struck you tongue out at him for leaving again leaving you here with only one job to do. Maybe you should complain to your higher ups? Not that it was bad just sitting here and watching the merman but you wanted to do more, maybe spent time with the pinguines or maybe other tanks as well as do more then clean and sit. You sighed and began the long journey of dragging the buckets back up, 1 at a time in a slow pace.
The moment you were done you sighed in relive and dumped the fish back inside seeing one of them beeeing very close actually. Swimming just a few feet away from you in the water like he was watching and eager. You were surprised he even came up here seeing the displeasing looks of the others, you gave a soft smile and waved your hand hesitantly. He looked surprised and his eyes lid up a bright yellow waving back.
"Hello there, you seem very friendly" you said slowly unsure if he would understand as you slowly dump the bucket into the water pushing one fish with your hand to him, you knew you shouldn't stick your hand in yet he seems so friendly. He seems surprised and quickly grabbed the fish, to your absolute surprise his mouth appeared and he bite down eagerly on the fish. You gave a soft gasp before looking interested at him.
You quickly snapped out of it though as you dumped the rest inside and took the buckets ready to leave seeing you were told they weren't so fond of humans. You gave small wave to the one at the top again before leaving down the stairs again seeing he was actually following you inside the tank? You watch him and smile seeing that this one seemed very nice. You look at the others watching displeased, especially the purple and blue ones. You gave them a soft look before stepping away from the tank and put the buckets back on the wagon. You saw the children eagerly at the glass seeing the red merman was so close to the tank glass since they wanted to make a photo with him.
Seeing him so close you only now noticed his tail was made out of red and dark shimmering scales, you also could see stars along it? It was solutley breathtaking in its own way, at the sides were 2 out going fins with yellow on it? They were round and looked interesting but you couldn't really tell what it was. His end of the tail was sharp and spilt into 2 parts, on his back you had seen 3 back fins? Why it were 3 you didn't know. You couldn't really ask but he was still so breathtaking. His long white hair faning around in the water each time he moved was so magestick and his yellow eyes felt soft and curious.
You sat back on a bench finishing your drawing in just a few minutes later, maybe 40 minutes you couldn't tell after that you bussied yourself in cleaning again and telling stories to the curious kids before you went to search for your college again that was supposed to help you. You found him in the break room.....eating lunch....he didn't even tell you it was break time.
"Oh your here? I though you knew it was break oh well" he said casually as the others around you looked uncomfortable. Seemingly this was his usual behavior in the way he was acting. You just sighed and reduced yourself to sit in a corner not wanting to start a fight on your first day. Someone actually sat next to you smiling.
"Hey I'm Carol, sorry for his behavior. He is a real asshole since he wanted to be the only actual getting promoted" she said softly as she smiled at you, you gave a soft sigh and told her your own name she nodded and shook your hand. A soft friendship forming maybe, you weren't sure.
"If you want you can tag around with me seeing that asshole probably didnt show you anything at all, only the task he didn't want to do" she said throwing a mean glance near his face he just ignored her a surged like he didn't mind at all her nasty comment he clearly heard. It was actually amazing seeing her stand up against him when no one else said a word.
"Thank you, and yeah I have been cleaning around the enclosure for the merman and feeding them mostly" you said softly not wanting to start drama so you said it softly and quiet to make sure you didn't let the other one hear it. She just nodded and let you eat your lunch.
"So what is a pretty boy like you working here for?" She asked smirking clearly just joking with you as you gave a soft cough and laughed, no one had really called you pretty before, more like handsome and maybe a of comment of you looking sometimes too weak, you weren't weak though! You could easily subdue a man if you put all your might to it. She pulled you along for the rest of the day showing you every enclosure every animal and what real work was here not just feeding and cleaning even repairing doing shows and holding tours. .
"I hope that was more enlightened to you then what ever that man said to you, honestly I don't even know how he has a job here he doesn't even do anything other then sit around and pretend to do paper work and stamp cards that come inside." She complained as she sighed walking with you back to the dolphins seeing it was time to show you what to do with them. It was all fun actually, they were so nice and eager to touch you which surprised Carol and you.
"Wow! I never saw them this eager to touch a new person, it took me 4 weeks to get their trust" Carol said clearly jealous and teasing you as you gave a soft chuckle. Maybe you gave of a calming aura to them and it calmed them? Or maybe they just wanted to play since you still smelled like fish from before.
"I don't know? But I'm happy they seem to like me. I was worried some animals would be scared of me but so far they seem to like me" you said relived as you gave a dolphins a fish to eat, who eagerly took it and rewarded you with some screeching noises and little bumps to your hand you gave a soft chuckle and smile as you let it.
Carol watched amazed and laughed as well. So yeah your first day wasn't so bad and you even got to leave early as Carol said to go ahead she would clean up the rest, so you went and changed out seeing your shift had been the morning one, you stamped your card seeing you left right on time and walked out those very big doors. You eagerly left got to your car and drove home
Huff!!! You jumped into your bed letting the exhaustion of working a new job and conflicting emotions wash away in just a simple jump of snuggling into your very cozy bed, you half heartedly had ate some food watched videos in your lap top and spent your rest of the day thinking on why it birthed you so much to see those merman's in cages. Why you wanted from just jump into the tank and hug at least one of them. Not to mention they looked so....cutw in a way? But also very broken. It brothered you but you couldn't do anything about it....not yet at least since you were only there for work and 1 day. You sighsd closing your eyes and letting yourself catch a pretty powerr nap you had need.
.how i imagine him to look like hust incase you all wondered since i didnt feel like i explained it well
